1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a disk manufacturing apparatus, and more particularly, to a disk manufacturing apparatus that automatically records information on a blank CD-ROM disk and prints a label affixed to the disk.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a simplified disk manufacturing apparatus for recording information on a blank disk such as a CD-ROM, hereinafter referred to as a compact disk, is known. What is herein referred to as a simplified compact disk manufacturing apparatus is an apparatus which, while lacking the mass-production capabilities of industrial compact disk manufacturing apparatuses, nevertheless is capable of producing a certain number of compact disks at a time.
FIG. 1 shows such a conventional compact disk manufacturing apparatus 1. The compact disk manufacturing apparatus 1 shown in the drawing is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,734,629.
Generally, the compact disk manufacturing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes at least one or more CD-ROM recorders 3 for recording information on blank compact disks 2. The apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1, for example, has three such recorders 3.
In addition, the compact disk manufacturing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 has an inspection device 4 to verify that information has been properly recorded to the compact disk 2, a printer 6 for printing a label 5 affixed to a back surface of the compact disk 2, that is, the surface opposite the recording surface of the compact disk 2, a variety of stockers 7, 8, 9 for holding the compact disks 2 and a transporter 10 for transporting the compact disks 2 between the devices 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 described above.
Typically, the CD-ROM recorder 3 and the inspection device 4 are the same unit. Hereinafter, however, for convenience of description the unit that records the information to the compact disk 2 using a recording function is referred to as the CD-ROM recorder 3 and the unit that inspects the compact disk 2 using a reproducing function to verify that a predetermined recording has in fact been properly performed is referred to as an inspection device 4. In addition, in the following description a blank compact disk 2 on which information has been recorded is referred to as a recorded compact disk 2.
The CD-ROM recorder 3 described above is provided with a recorder tray 11. A blank compact disk 2 is placed on the recorder tray 11, which is extended in a direction indicated by arrow X2 as shown in FIG. 1. Information is recorded on the blank compact disk 2 in a state in which the recorder tray 11, on which a blank compact disk 2 is loaded, is retracted into the compact disk manufacturing apparatus 1, in a direction indicated by arrow X1.
Similarly, the inspection device 4 is provided with an inspection tray 12. A recorded compact disk 2 is placed on the inspection tray 12, which is extended in the direction of arrow X2. The recorded compact disk 2 is inspected in a state in which the inspection tray 12, on which a recorded compact disk 2 is loaded, is retracted into the compact disk manufacturing apparatus 1, in the direction of arrow X1.
The CD-ROM recorder 3 and inspection device 4 have conventionally been arranged vertically one atop the other as shown in FIG. 1, with the inspection device 4 positioned at the uppermost part of a plurality of CD-ROM recorders 3.
As noted previously, the printer 6 prints a label 5 previously affixed to the back surface of the compact disk 2. The printer 6 is provided with a printer tray 13 on which recorded compact disks 2 are placed. A recorded compact disk 2 that has been inspected by the inspection device 4 and found to be properly recorded is placed on the printer tray 13 which is extended in the direction of arrow X2. The printer tray 13 then retracts into the compact disk manufacturing apparatus 1 in the direction of arrow X1 and the printer begins printing to the label 5.
It will be appreciated that in an ordinary printer for printing on sheets of paper the printer head, which may be for example an ink jet head, moves in a straight line while feeding the paper to the head. By contrast, instead of feeding paper to the head, the printer 6 for printing the label 5 affixed to the back side of the recorded compact disk 2 typically operates by gradually moving the printer tray 13 on which the recorded compact disk 2 is placed in the direction of arrow X2, thereby printing the entire label 5.
The printer 6 is positioned at an uppermost part of the compact disk manufacturing apparatus 1. Placement of the printer 6 at the top of the compact disk manufacturing apparatus 1 is dictated by the need to make servicing the printer 6 convenient.
In addition, a carousel 18 is provided atop a base 19 positioned at the bottommost portion of the compact disk manufacturing apparatus 1. A stocker 7 for blank disks, a stocker 8 for properly recorded disks and a stocker 9 for defectively recorded disks are provided on the carousel 18.
The stocker 7 for blank compact disks 2 holds those compact disks 2 which have not yet been recorded. The stocker 8 for properly recorded compact disks 2 holds compact disks 2 that have been inspected by the inspection device 4 and found to be properly recorded and for which the labels 5 affixed to the back surfaces of the compact disk 2 have been printed by the printer 6. The stocker 9 for defectively recorded compact disks 2 holds those compact disks 2 that have been inspected by the inspection device 4 and found to be defectively recorded. The defectively recorded compact disks 2 do not undergo printing.
It should be noted that the stockers 7, 8, 9 are configured so as to be positionable directly beneath the trays 11, 12, 13 by the rotation of the carousel 18.
The transporter 10 comprises a carriage 14, a rail 15, a motor 16, a belt 17 and so on. The carriage 14 detachably supports a compact disk 2. The carriage 14 is guided by the rail 15 and is movable in a vertical direction indicated by double-headed arrow Z1-Z2 in FIG. 1. In addition, the belt 17, which is driven by the motor 16, is connected to the carriage 14, in such a way that when the motor 16 rotates the carriage 14 moves up or down, as the case may be. Thus can the transporter 10 transport the compact disks 2 among the various devices 3-9 described above.
In the compact disk manufacturing apparatus 1 described above, the carriage 14 performs five different functions or steps, which may be briefly described as follows in the sequence in which they are performed:
1. transporting the blank compact disks 2 stored in the stocker 7 to the CD-ROM recorder 3 transport tray 11;
2. transporting the recorded compact disks 2 recorded by the CD-ROM recorder 3 from the CD-ROM recorder 3 transport tray 11 to the inspection tray 12;
3. transporting those compact disks 2 inspected by the inspection device 4 and found to be defectively recorded to the stocker 9 for defectively recorded compact disks 2;
4. transporting those compact disks 2 inspected by the inspection device 4 and found to be properly recorded from the inspection device 4 inspection tray 12 to the printer 6 printer tray 13; and
5. transporting recorded compact disks 2 for which the printer 6 has printed labels 5 from the printer 6 printer tray 13 to the stocker 8 for properly recorded compact disks 2.
The conventional compact disk manufacturing apparatus 1 described above arranges the CD-ROM recorder 3, inspection device 4, printer 6 and stockers 7-9 one atop the other, so the carriage 14 moves through the same space when performing the five steps described above. At the same time, the printer tray 13 of the printer 6, on which recorded compact disks 2 are loaded for printing, moves gradually in the X2 direction.
As a result, when the printer tray 13 moves in the X2 direction as the printer 6 prints, the printer tray 13 intrudes into the above-described zone of movement of the carriage 14, thus restricting the movement of the carriage 14. More specifically, when the carriage 14 is at a position lower than that of the printer 6, the movement of the printer tray 13 in the X2 direction limits the zone of movement of the carriage to a height beneath which the carriage 14 is free to move without colliding with the printer tray 13. In addition, when the carriage 14 is positioned at a height above that of the printer tray 13 in a standby mode and the printer tray 13 is extended in the X2 position, the carriage 14 is unable to retrieve the compact disk 2 even after the compact disk 2 has been recorded by the CD-ROM recorder 3 and inspected by the inspection device 4.
As a result, a conventional compact disk manufacturing apparatus 1 having the structure described above suffers from the disadvantage that the process of manufacturing recorded compact disks 2 is slowed due to the intrusion of the extended printer tray 13 into the zone of movement of the carriage 14.
In addition, because the conventional compact disk manufacturing apparatus 1 stacks the CD-ROM recorder 3, inspection device 4 and printer 6 vertically one atop the other as noted previously, the only way to accommodate additional device units to improve efficiency is by stacking these additional units atop those units already in place. This stacking of device units one atop the other can make the apparatus 1 top-heavy and, in the worst case, may cause the apparatus 1 to tip over. A mechanism to prevent the apparatus from tipping over then becomes necessary, which in turn has the added disadvantage of increasing the size of the apparatus 1.
Further, in the conventional compact disk manufacturing apparatus 1 the individual devices 3-10 described above are exposed, so dust, dirt and so forth can accumulate inside the devices 3-10, causing the apparatus 1 to malfunction.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved and useful disk manufacturing apparatus in which the above-mentioned disadvantages are eliminated.
Another and more specific object of the present invention is to provide an improved and useful disk manufacturing apparatus capable of manufacturing compact disks both efficiently and stably.
The above-described objects of the present invention are achieved by a disk manufacturing apparatus comprising:
a recorder recording information on a blank disk-like recording medium placed on an extended recording tray, provided on the recorder, in a state in which the recording tray is retracted into the recorder;
a printer printing a label affixed to a prerecorded disk placed on an extended printer tray provided on the printer, in a state in which the printer tray is retracted into the printer; and
a transporter transporting the disk,
a zone of movement of the disk transported to and from the recorder and a zone of movement of the disk transported to and from the printer being separated from each other.
Additionally, the above-described objects of the present invention are also achieved by a disk manufacturing apparatus comprising:
a recorder recording information on a blank disk-like recording medium placed on an extended recording tray provided on the recorder, in a state in which the recording tray is retracted into the recorder;
a printer printing a label affixed to a prerecorded disk placed on an extended printer tray provided on the printer, in a state in which the printer tray is retracted into the printer;
a plurality of stockers separately holding blank disks, properly recorded disks and defectively recorded disks, respectively; and
a transporter transporting the disks among the recorder, printer and each of the plurality of stockers,
a zone of movement of the recorder as it transports a blank disk from a stocker to the recorder tray and a zone of movement of the printer tray as it extends and retracts being separated from each other.
According to the invention described above, the zone of movement of the transporter that moves the blank compact disks from the stocker to the recorder tray and the zone of movement of the printer tray provided on the printer as the printer tray is extended from the apparatus and retracted into the apparatus are spatially separated, so the compact disks can be freely transported between the CD-ROM recorder and the stockers using the transporter. In other words, the operation of the transporter is not affected by the extension of the printer tray from the printer, so the compact disks can be transported freely between the CD-ROM recorder and the stockers using the transporter, without the need to wait for the printer tray to withdraw from the zone of movement of the transporter. As a result, waiting time is eliminated and compact disk manufacturing efficiency improved.
Additionally, the above-described objects of the present invention are also achieved by the disk manufacturing apparatus as described above, wherein the stocker for holding defectively recorded disks is positioned directly beneath the recorder tray in a state in which the recorder tray is extended from the recorder.
According to the invention described above, positioning the stocker holding defectively recorded disks directly beneath the recorder tray when the recorder tray is extended from the CD-ROM recorder so that the recorder tray need only lower the defectively recorded disks, hereinafter referred to as defective disks, onto the defectively recorded disk stocker reduces the amount of time required to transport the defective disks from the CD-ROM recorder to the defective disk stocker, thus improving the efficiency of compact disk manufacture.
Additionally, the above-described objects of the present invention are also achieved by the disk manufacturing apparatus as described above, wherein the stocker for holding the properly recorded disks is positioned directly beneath the printer tray in a state in which the printer tray is extended from the printer.
According to the invention described above, properly recorded disks, hereinafter referred to as recorded disks, are transported to the printer and the labels printed. When the printing process is completed the printer tray is extended from the printer and the recorded disk is transported by the transporter device to the recorded disk stocker.
In such a state, the recorded disk stocker is positioned directly beneath the extended printer tray, so transport of the recorded disk to the recorded disk stocker can be accomplished simply by lowering the recorded disk into the recorded disk stocker, thus reducing the amount of time required to transport the recorded disk from the printer to the recorded disk stocker and thereby improving the efficiency of compact disk manufacture.
Additionally, the above-described objects of the present invention are also achieved by the disk manufacturing apparatus as described above, wherein the recorder, printer plurality of stockers and transporter are enclosed in a dustproof dustproof housing.
According to the invention described above, by enclosing the recorder, printer, stockers and transporter inside a dustproof housing the intrusion of dust and dirt can be prevent and proper operation of the individual devices can be maintained.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.